Hardcover, 393 pages
English language
Published April 10, 2018 by Little, Brown and Company.
The daring, dazzling, and highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller The Song Of Achilles that briliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of the Odyssey.
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not obviously powerful like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur; Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus; the murderous Medea; and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who …
The daring, dazzling, and highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller The Song Of Achilles that briliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of the Odyssey.
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not obviously powerful like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur; Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus; the murderous Medea; and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love. With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love, and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man's world.
This is probably my favorite book of all time.
I'm not currently a fan of Greek mythology but that didn't really seem to matter. This was a fun read.
I bumped this book to the top of my to-read list after a videogames-fueled micro-obsession with Greek mythology (shoutouts to Hades by Supergiant Games) and I couldn't have possibly chosen a better book to sate my cravings for more modern takes on said epic stories. Circe is a beautifully written, briskly paced, smartly structured retelling of a story I didn't really have much previous knowledge of, but it feels both satisfyingly mythological and powerfully timely/modern. It's a book about healing, carving a destiny of your own (relatable, but particularly difficult for divine beings in this setting!), choosing your own family and most importantly, how hard all of those things are to get right. And, thankfully, it's powerfully optimistic too. I enormously enjoyed this, couldn't put it down and find it incredibly easy to recommend. What a good book.
Somewhere on applemcg.github.io/reading
Wonderful prose. Circe's struggles and relationships feel real and varied--she has depth and complexity. The process of her discoveries about herself are organic and so authentic to the character that Miller has imagined.
Telemachus was a far more interesting character than I thought he would be. Odysseus did not abandon him to go to war; the tragedy was that Odysseus could not be present when he returned from the war. Fascinating insight to the ancient story.
It was interesting to read this right after a novel by a much younger and less-accomplished writer to provide some contrast and highlight what Really Good Writing does that OK writing does not.
I'm honestly not sure what to say about this book. It's well written, no question there. I adore Miller's prose for how evocative they are. But if you're looking for a repeat of heartbreak that is The Song of Achilles, you'll be a little disappointed.
Most of the characters in the beginning are horrible people. None of them really redeem themselves either. But Circe is relate-able. Particularly her themes of abandonment and isolation.
It's particularly interesting how Miller can create this piece and make us feel the sense of isolation without it feeling too boring or depressing. Was I completely captivated the entire time? No. But was it ever a question that I wouldn't finish? No.
Seeing the prose of Circe mixed with the characters and emotionality of TSOA, I really hope that Miller moves beyond just Greek works and continues to write engaging tales. She's a talented writer, and …
I'm honestly not sure what to say about this book. It's well written, no question there. I adore Miller's prose for how evocative they are. But if you're looking for a repeat of heartbreak that is The Song of Achilles, you'll be a little disappointed.
Most of the characters in the beginning are horrible people. None of them really redeem themselves either. But Circe is relate-able. Particularly her themes of abandonment and isolation.
It's particularly interesting how Miller can create this piece and make us feel the sense of isolation without it feeling too boring or depressing. Was I completely captivated the entire time? No. But was it ever a question that I wouldn't finish? No.
Seeing the prose of Circe mixed with the characters and emotionality of TSOA, I really hope that Miller moves beyond just Greek works and continues to write engaging tales. She's a talented writer, and I am eager to see what she does next.
Not my normal read, but a very well written and enjoyable story.
Well, everything from Odysseus on was great. It just took a long time to get there. The ending is... open, but I don't mind it. Telemachus was my favorite, and I'm happy that Circe really did come full circle in finding and knowing herself.
Fun serious narrative undoing of mythology's views of parenting, immortality, war and heroes. Picks up strong to the finish about the same time Odysseus arrives in the middle, as Circe begins to act - but is that a trait of the gods or of humanity?
Update: Still just as good after the second reading!
Original: I really enjoyed this. I don't know much of anything about Circe in mythology so I don't know how true this is to the source material but it was very well written and very engaging. It makes me want to read more European mythology.
This book is a beautifully written treasure.
I found myself pausing to savor the writing as much as the story and characters. This book triggered the same sense of wonder I remember feeling as a kid, discovering Greek mythology through movies like Clash of the Titans, Jason & the Argonauts and Hercules.
What a ride.
Wat een briljante hervertelling van alle mythen rond Circe. En je gaat er zo anders van naar de oude Griekse mythes kijken. Heel interessant.
This was a constantly intriguing read, never a dull moment. The way Madeline Miller breathes life into this mythology, fleshing out Circe to be a character I came to understand and sympathize with, is impressive. Of course, Circe is not the only mythological character to be transformed from figment to reality in this creative, enjoyable read.
In school, I had a Latin teacher who regaled us with ancient myths, something we all enjoyed, and not just because it was time away from translating. This novel brought some of that pleasure back to me, plus more.
Bravo!
This is rather reductionist of me, but also perhaps the most succinct way to describe this book: Remember how Wicked told the tale of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West? Circe tells story of The Odyssey from the perspective of Circe, one of classical mythology’s original witches. This was a ferociously readable and wonderfully vivid story. Like so many people, I’ve long found mythology and folklore to be fascinating subjects for myriad reasons. But I’ll freely confess that I sometimes find the classics on the dry side and certainly on the sexist/misogynistic side. Miller’s Circe is none of those things. It’s so satisfying to get to know powerful Circe herself – not as an enchantress featuring briefly in the life of Greek hero Odysseus, but as a fully-formed individual, who we first meet during her divine, but still no-less-awkward childhood and follow …
This is rather reductionist of me, but also perhaps the most succinct way to describe this book: Remember how Wicked told the tale of The Wizard of Oz from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the West? Circe tells story of The Odyssey from the perspective of Circe, one of classical mythology’s original witches. This was a ferociously readable and wonderfully vivid story. Like so many people, I’ve long found mythology and folklore to be fascinating subjects for myriad reasons. But I’ll freely confess that I sometimes find the classics on the dry side and certainly on the sexist/misogynistic side. Miller’s Circe is none of those things. It’s so satisfying to get to know powerful Circe herself – not as an enchantress featuring briefly in the life of Greek hero Odysseus, but as a fully-formed individual, who we first meet during her divine, but still no-less-awkward childhood and follow as she grows to become perhaps the most powerful – and entirely self-taught – hedge witch of her time.
1) "My father's gaze was far away. As if he were looking through sea and earth, all the way to Colchis. It might have been some trick of the hearth-fire, but I thought the light of his face flickered.
'Shall I give you a demonstration?' My brother drew out from his robes a small pot with a wax seal. He broke the seal and touched his finger to the liquid inside. I smelled something sharp and green, with a brackish edge.
He pressed his thumb to my face and spoke a word, too low for me to hear. My skin began to itch, and then, like a taper snuffed out, the pain was gone. When I put my hand to my cheek I felt only smoothness, and a faint sheen as if from oil.
'A good trick, is it not?' Aeëtes said.
My father did not answer. He sat strangely …
1) "My father's gaze was far away. As if he were looking through sea and earth, all the way to Colchis. It might have been some trick of the hearth-fire, but I thought the light of his face flickered.
'Shall I give you a demonstration?' My brother drew out from his robes a small pot with a wax seal. He broke the seal and touched his finger to the liquid inside. I smelled something sharp and green, with a brackish edge.
He pressed his thumb to my face and spoke a word, too low for me to hear. My skin began to itch, and then, like a taper snuffed out, the pain was gone. When I put my hand to my cheek I felt only smoothness, and a faint sheen as if from oil.
'A good trick, is it not?' Aeëtes said.
My father did not answer. He sat strangely dumb. I felt struck dumb myself. The power of healing another's flesh belonged only to the greatest gods, not to such as us.
My brother smiled, as if he could hear my thoughts. 'And that is the least of my powers. They are drawn from the earth itself, and so are not bound by the normal laws of divinity.' He let the words hang a moment in the air. 'I understand of course that you can make no judgments now. You must take counsel. But you should know that I would be happy to give Zeus a more...impressive demonstration.'
A look flashed in his eyes, like teeth in a wolf's mouth.
My father's words came slowly. That same numbness still masked his face. I understood with an odd jold. He is afraid.
'I must take counsel, as you say. This is...new. Until it is decided, you will remain in these halls. Both of you.'
'I expected no less,' Aeëtes said. He inclined his head and turned to go. I followed, skin prickling with the rush of my thoughts, and a breathless, rearing hope. The myrrh-wood doors shut behind us, and we stood in the hall. Aeëtes' face was calm, as if he had not just performed a miracle and silenced our father. I had a thousand questions ready to tumble out, but he spoke first.
'What have you been doing all this while? You took forever. I was beginning to think you weren't a pharmakis after all.'
It was not a word I knew. It was not a word anyone knew, then.
'Pharmakis,' I said.
Witch."
2) "Let me say what sorcery is not: it is not divine power, which comes with a thought and a blink. It must be made and worked, planned and searched out, dug up, dried, chopped and ground, cooked, spoken over, and sung. Even after all that, it can fail, as gods do not. If my herbs are not fresh enough, if my attention falters, if my will is weak, the draughts go stale and rancid in my hands."
3) "Brides, nyphs were called, but that is not really how the world saw us. We were an endless feast laid out upon a table, beautiful and renewing. And so very bad at getting away.
The rails of my sty cracked with age and use. From time to time the wood buckled and a pig escaped. Most often, he would throw himself from the cliffs. The seabirds were grateful; they seemed to come from half the world away to feast on the plump bones. I would stand watching as they stripped the fat and sinew. The small pink scrap of tail-skin dangled from one of their beaks like a worm. If it were a man, I wondered if I would pity him. But it was not a man.
When I passed back by the pen, his friends would stare at me with pleading faces. They moaned and squealed, and pressed their snouts to the earth. We are sorry, we are sorry.
Sorry you were caught, I said. Sorry that you thought I was weak, but you were wrong.
On my bed, the lions rested their chins on my stomach. I pushed them off. I rose and walked again."
4) "I saved the cyclops for last, I cannot say why. Perhaps because I could remember Odysseus telling it so clearly.
[...]
When the creature fell at last into a stupor, he sharpened a great stake, heated it over the fire, and plunged it into his eye. The cyclops roared and thrashed but could not see to catch Odysseus and the rest of the crew. They were able to escape when he let his sheep out to graze, each man clinging to the underside of a wooly beast. The enraged monster called for help from his fellow one-eyes, but they did not come, for he cried, 'No one has blinded me! No one is escaping!' Odysseus and his crew reached the ships, and when they were safely distant, Odysseus turned back to shout across the waves, 'If you would know the man who tricked you, it is Odysseus, son of Laertes and prince of Ithaca!'
The words seemed to echo in the quiet air. Telemachus was silent, as if waiting for the sound to fade. At last he said, 'It was a bad life.'
'There are many who are unhappier.'
'No.' His vehemence startled me. 'I do not mean a bad life for him. I mean that he made life for others a misery. Why did his men go to that cave in the first place? Because he wanted more treasure. And poseidon's wrath that everyone pitied him for? He brought it on himself. Because he could not bear to leave the cyclops without taking credit for the trick.'
His words were running forward like an undammed flood.
'All those years of pain and wandering. Why? For a moment's pride. He would rather be cursed by the gods than be No one. If he had returned home after the war, the suitors would never have come. My mother's life would not have been blighted. My life. He talked so often of longing for us and home. But it was lies. When he was back on Ithaca he was never content, always looking to the horizon. Once we were his again, he wanted something else. What is that if not a bad life? Luring others to you, then turning from them?'"
